We were just starting to wonder when the performance tire hierarchy would be subject to change…

Now it seems that Continental's SportContact 6 is primed to shake up the rankings; maybe even become a new benchmark. And if there is a new performance tire to unsettle the status quo, we're not surprised that it would emanate from the Continental tire camp.

Our experiences with the Continental ExtremeContact DW and Continental ExtremeContact DWS in particular have left overwhelmingly positive, and lasting impressions. The ExtremeContact DW for its on-road refinement, and exceptional wet weather traction + handling attributes (this may still be the very best performance tire for on-road purposes). The ExtremeContact DWS for being one of the high performance all season tires that uniquely lives up to the "all season" designation. (Thanks for all of the snow drifting memories and controllable wintertime oversteer, DWS.)

Continental SportContact 6

And in the track tire arena, we maintain that the Continental ForceContact hasn't received due attention and notoriety. It's not easy to engineer a full-fledged track tire that's suitable for road use as well. The ForceContact remains one of the very few, and it delivers just about unrivaled traction on a wet race track as well.

But as much as we enjoyed the ExtremeContact DW as a street performance tire, it's true that in terms of outright grip in dry conditions it lags behind the category-leading Michelin Pilot Super Sport. Whereas the Pilot Super Sport is even game for the occasional HPDE/track day, the ExtremeContact DW is far more at home in a 7 or 8/10ths performance driving context. A spirited canyon drive, sure. Laps at the track? Not so much.

And so what has become clear over the past few years is that if Continental (or anyone else) is to challenge the Michelin for top performance tire honors, outright dry grip and track capability is the primary target development area.

Recently the reputable European magazine Auto Bild pitted the new Continental SportContact 6 against the Michelin Pilot Super Sport in a direct comparison test, and the results were pretty astounding.

The SportContact 6 proved superior to the Pilot Super Sport in both dry and wet conditions. The SportContact 6 was the quicker of the two tires on track, and the evaluators preferred the Continental's steering feedback and handling balance as well.

While this is only one comparison test, the result represents a departure from nearly all performance tire comparison test of the past few years. The Pilot Super Sport has bested every other street performance tire (especially) in terms of track performance, and so the fact that the SportContact 6 was able to beat the Michelin at its own game, so to speak, is noteworthy indeed.

So what could stymie the SportContact 6 from becoming the go-to performance tire when it arrives stateside?

Well, for one thing we don't yet know pricing. Continental intends for the SportContact 6 to be used in original equipment applications, so that could mean artificially inflated pricing for those looking to buy the tire without the car.

Along with initial pricing, treadlife and therefore long-term SportContact 6 value is tbd. One of the characteristics that has generated such user favor with the Pilot Super Sport is its long treadlife (relatively speaking). The initial indication is that the Pilot Super Sport holds the advantage over the SportContact 6 in this area -- a 300 treadwear rating vs the SportContact 6's 240.

We'll get to work on a full Continental SportContact 6 review asap. In the meantime, there's definitely good reason to put the SportContact 6 on your performance tire radar for the upcoming seasons.